by Wade Townsend

Elizabeta Samara has received the wildcard position for the Uncle Pop 2017 Women’s World Cup. The tournament is taking place in Markham, Canada from 27-29 October.

The Romanian number one has her eyes set on the top prize now that she has her ticket to Markham.

“I’m really happy to receive this wildcard. I hope I will be in top shape and do one better than my silver medal in 2012!” Elizabeta Samara

It was in Huangshi, China that Samara fought her way through to the final. It took none other than Liu Shiwen to deal the finishing blow to her run in the event, a player that has dominated the tournament over the last decade.

Currently standing at No.28 in the World Rankings, Samara is in form after being part of the Romanian outfit that took gold at the Liebherr 2017 ITTF-European Team Championships. She will be bringing to the table a competitive drive and some middle distance topspin prowess that will certainly keep the fans entertained.

Her gold medal hope isn’t a pipe dream, but there will be a few hurdles along the way.

The competition in Canada will be fierce, with both reigning champion Miu Hirano and current World Champion Ding Ning looking for top place on the podium.

But Samara’s silver medal is feeling lonely, and an addition to her collection could well be on the horizon.